Qualificatiu

Qualificatiu is a linguistic term used to describe a word class that expresses a property or quality of a noun. In many grammars, it corresponds to what is commonly called an adjective: a word that describes, characterizes, or limits a noun by attributing a property such as color, size, origin, or other characteristics. The concept is widely used in Romance-language grammars and is discussed in Catalan linguistic traditions as a way to group adjectives that qualify nouns.

In typical use, qualificatius modify noun phrases and can appear before or after the noun they modify. They usually agree with the noun in gender and number in languages that have grammatical agreement. They can be used attributively within a noun phrase, as in a cotxe vermell (Catalan for “red car”), or predicatively with a linking verb, as in the car és vermell (“the car is red”). Qualificatius can express gradable properties and participate in degree comparison (more red, very tall) in languages where such inflections exist.

Qualificatiu is distinct from other modifier classes such as determiners or numerals, and from non-qualifying adjectives that indicate class membership or relational categories. Within grammars, adjectives may be subdivided into qualificatius (qualifying properties) and other subtypes, depending on theoretical framework.

Etymologically, qualificatiu derives from Latin qualificativus, meaning “qualifying.” Cross-linguistically, qualificatius encompass color, size, material, origin, and other inherent properties that help to identify or differentiate a noun.